“Previously, I heard from my peers that it was simply unthinkable for new energy heavy trucks to enter Xinjiang.”
“To drive all the way from Yuncheng, Shanxi to Changji, Xinjiang, a distance of 3,000 kilometers, really requires a great deal of courage.
“During the eight or nine days on the road, people kept calling to ask if we were crazy. Why on earth would we drive a pure electric heavy truck such a long distance?”
Mr. Lei and Ms. Zhang, a couple who are the owners of a transportation company in Shanxi, might not have expected that their bold attempt would create a new record for the one-way actual operation mileage of new energy heavy trucks in China. On the eve of the Spring Festival in 2025, after careful calculation, they decided to use the most economical way to load goods onto the five Yutong pure electric heavy trucks they had just picked up and drive from Yuncheng, Shanxi to Changji, Xinjiang. The journey included highways, national roads, and provincial roads, with a total mileage of 3,000 kilometers. Inadvertently, this freight operation also opened a new chapter in the long-distance transportation of pure electric heavy trucks.
The couple was a bit puzzled about how to transport the five Yutong pure electric heavy trucks, which had been loaded with trailers in Yuncheng, Shanxi, to their operation destination, Changji, Xinjiang.
“We studied it carefully and calculated the comprehensive cost. It turned out that loading the goods and driving directly there would cost the least. Besides, I’m naturally adventurous. Taking this opportunity, we also wanted to see the capabilities of Yutong heavy trucks. We thought we should put it to the test to see if it was as good as rumored. So, we decided to dispatch drivers to drive the five trucks directly there!” said Ms. Zhang.
Next, they planned the route together with the service staff of Yutong. And the training provided by Yutong’s heavy truck service staff to the drivers made them feel more confident about this long-distance transportation.
The 3,000-kilometer long journey started from Yuncheng, Shanxi. On the first day, they drove to Xi’an, Shaanxi, to recharge and take a rest. Then they left Shaanxi for Gansu, and after running for a day and a night in Ningxia, they entered Gansu again. After driving for three days in Gansu, they entered Xinjiang. It took them nearly nine days in total.
According to Ms. Zhang, she and her husband led the way in the front. Every day, they carefully planned the route, decided where to recharge, and where to eat and rest. Yutong’s service staff also kept a close eye on the condition of the fleet through Anruitong in real time. Everyone heaved a sigh of relief when the vehicles entered Xinjiang.
“Although most of the expressway service areas have charging piles, to save costs, we had to take some lower roads. There was a section of nearly 200 kilometers without charging piles, and this section was the most challenging, especially considering the cold weather now.” The charging “no-man’s land” that Mr. Lei was most worried about didn’t cause any problems for the entire fleet. “It has to be Yutong heavy trucks! After getting through this section, we didn’t have any concerns about the remaining journey. From that moment on, my wife and I decided that if we were to buy vehicles in the future, they would definitely be Yutong trucks.”
As the person in charge of the company’s vehicle operation, Mr. Lei has seen countless vehicles since he entered the transportation industry, starting as a driver and then starting his own business as a boss. When choosing new energy heavy trucks, he checked, asked, and compared again and again. Finally, he even went to the Yutong factory for an on-site inspection before deciding to choose Yutong heavy trucks. At that time, his judgment was based on his feelings and what he heard. But now, he truly recognizes the quality of Yutong heavy trucks from the bottom of his heart. As Ms. Zhang put it, “Yutong heavy trucks are truly reliable ‘thousand-mile horses’!”
After these vehicles were put into actual operation, Ms. Zhang was very satisfied with their power consumption performance. These five vehicles were put into the coal transportation route from Changji to Shihezi, with a load of 32 tons. The round trip is 340 kilometers, and the comprehensive power consumption cost is about 1 yuan per kilometer. As the drivers become more and more familiar with the vehicles, the power consumption cost will be further reduced.
For the Lei couple, this “adventurous” freight transportation from Yuncheng, Shanxi to Changji, Xinjiang directly verified the correctness of their choice of Yutong heavy trucks. And this will also be the source of confidence for them to further expand the scale of new energy vehicles in their fleet.
For the entire logistics transportation industry, the successful 3,000-kilometer actual operation of new energy heavy trucks also has great significance. Firstly, it is the first time for pure electric heavy trucks to carry out ultra-long-distance transportation. Even in the situation where there are no charging facilities within 200 kilometers, new energy heavy trucks can successfully break through the “charging no-man’s land”. This has important reference value for logistics companies that have the idea of long-distance operation. Secondly, the success of this “adventure” undoubtedly brings great confidence to the industry. The previous concerns and prejudices about the operation mileage of new energy heavy trucks will also be dispelled. Thirdly, it indicates that the operation scenarios of new energy heavy trucks have been expanded again. From short-distance to medium- and short-distance transportation scenarios, now the long-distance transportation scenario has been developed. Pure electric heavy trucks can already meet the comprehensive needs of logistics transportation in all scenarios.
Of course, this extreme operation is also the most direct test of the performance level of pure electric heavy trucks in China. The result shows that compared with traditional heavy trucks, pure electric heavy trucks do not have the so-called shortcomings. As long as the technology is leading, the quality is excellent, and the service is available, the operation mileage is no longer an obstacle to the wide application of pure electric heavy trucks. In addition, the reliability, cruising range, and professional service of Yutong pure electric heavy trucks have also successfully passed the test during the operation. The confidence of users is the most direct source of power in the promotion process of new energy heavy trucks. And Yutong heavy trucks, which help users continuously break through the operation boundaries, are also a powerful boost for the steady progress of the new energy heavy truck industry!
